Comments on: Why the New York Times Paywall Will Backfire

By: ttunguz

ttunguz — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:52:52 +0000

The pay wall is poorly structured. For NY Times, scarcity is introduced by time. News is most valuable when it’s fresh. I propose the pay wall should be designed to reflect this. Make all content on the site free after 1 week. But to access this week’s news, magazine, science section, ask users to pay… http://tomasztunguz.com/a-proposal-scarcity-sheep-throwing-and-nytime

By: HD Boy

HD Boy — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 05:45:09 +0000

A single, $15 or $20 per month fee for all ITunes-authorized shared devices on a HOUSEHOLD network. That’s up to five Macs or PCs, and all iPods, iPhones and iPads.

Households don’t pay separate fees for each family member who reads the morning paper! These companies should be giving away their content to kids — to groom a new generation of young subscribers who are their future.

They should NOT be charging $15 or $20 per month/per device! People will never pay this! These old world newspaper people are absolutely NUTS with these pricing schemes.

By: MTOlincoln

MTOlincoln — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:34:31 +0000

$15. / 4 wks is not more than a print subscription. It’s way less.

By: MTOlincoln

MTOlincoln — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:32:18 +0000

$14.80 is 50% of their M-F 4-week rate, or $29.60. For $15. one can get digital access Sun-Sat for 4 wks, from a browser from any device. Seems like a pretty good deal to me.

By: Bert de Jong

Bert de Jong — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:18:59 +0000

I’m a dedicated NYT reader, but like other I fail to see why I have to pay more than a print reader, and why as an iPad reader I have to pay more than an iPhone user. I don’t mind paying, but the present costing is not clear and unfair. I may revert to print…

By: Michael Smith

Michael Smith — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:14:52 +0000

I don’t think they understand how this has already failed for the Financial Times and the WSJ. Because they all allow you to read if your referrer is a search engine, you just have to go to Google News, type in the title of the story and then click thru. Their paywalls are meaningless. And frankly, it’s news, in this day and age we can get the news from a 1000 sources in 100 countries in english and on demand for Free.

They can cling to their old model if they like, but much like the entertainment industry is slowly learning, the economics of the market have changed. They can change with it or whither away. The choice is really theirs.

By: DrD

DrD — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:37:56 +0000

I would rather subscribe to the print edition but it is not delivered in my rural area. And I don’t have a post office box big enough to receive copies by USPS three days late.

By: Michael O'Brien

Michael O'Brien — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 13:27:07 +0000

Good news does not come free! Lots of people work hard to produce what you find in the NY Times. All news reporting is not equal. For the most part, you get a much better quality of news reporting in the NY Times than in most other papers or news sources. Don’t be afraid to pay something for it!

Let’s all do our part too. :-)

By: Mtolincoln

Mtolincoln — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 13:13:25 +0000

Baloney! Not too much to pay at all! A good plan! Reasonable!
Now you can subscribe to everything for a month on your computer for only $15. Way less than a print subscription!
This new option let’s news consumers, like me, contribute something to the costs of collecting and reporting the news I rely on everyday. I do not want a print subscription, but do not want my best news entirely free either. Don’t want to see the NY Times news reporting downgraded or disappear like so many other news organizations.

Think of the big picture folks. Pay something for what you value and use. Or it won’t be there any more!

M.O.

By: HongJoo Choi

HongJoo Choi — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 09:35:57 +0000

Who can blame them but not sure if the NYT can make it with a paywall.